When comparing Dell XPS 12 vs Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-58WW, the Slant community recommends Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-58WW for most people. In the question“What are the best ultra-portable laptops for an engineering student?”Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-58WW is ranked 11th while Dell XPS 12 is ranked 12th. The most important reason people chose Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-58WW is:

The extremely compact size (12.9 by 9 by 0.8 inches) and light weight (3.5 pounds) make this laptop very easy to carry around in a backpack everywhere you go. Making it a good choice who for people who have to take their laptop everywhere.

Pros

Pro

Amazing display

The XPS 12 has a 4K display that's one of the best in its class. The sRGB color space is covered by 100% and the screen brightness is great as well.

Pro

Unique design

Like other laptops in the XPS series, the XPS 12 is not any different in the design department. It's a beautiful piece of hardware albeit a little strange for convertible laptops since it doesn't have anything that holds the screen and keyboard together. There's no latching mechanisms or prongs like in other similar devices. The screen slots in place and a combination of magnets, friction, and gravity holds it in place.

It may seem a bit unnerving at first but it works and it's very secure while still allowing the user to easily lift the screen off.

Pro

Doesn't rely on a flimsy hinge

This 2-in-1 laptop has a rigid keyboard base on which you place the tablet part. This avoids using a flimsy hinge like other 2-in-1 laptops and offers a great tactile typing experience found in business-grade laptops.

Pro

Great build quality

Both main parts (the keyboard and the screen) are made of high-quality magnesium alloy and the device is coated with a pleasant layer of soft touch paint.

Pro

Great keyboard

The keyboard is on the same level as some business-grade laptops. Keys feel great to the touch and they have a slight curvature which makes hitting keys easier. They also offer a travel distance of 1.9mm, more than any other convertible laptop on the market.

Pro

Extremely easy to carry everywhere

The extremely compact size (12.9 by 9 by 0.8 inches) and light weight (3.5 pounds) make this laptop very easy to carry around in a backpack everywhere you go. Making it a good choice who for people who have to take their laptop everywhere.

Pro

The fans are usually very quiet

The fans on the Acer Spin 5 are very quiet even when you have multiple browsers open with several tabs on each. They do get rather loud when playing games or installing new apps though, but gaming is not what this laptop will usually be used for.

Pro

The screen can be viewed comfortably from multiple angles

The 1080p IPS display can be viewed from multiple angles without making it seem washed up. The display also covers 59% of the sRGB color gamut, which makes it one of the most color-accurate displays for this price range.

Cons

Con

When using in laptop mode you can't tilt the screen to your liking

Since there's no hinge, you can't tilt the screen to your liking. It stays fixed at a 110 degrees angle.

Con

Middling battery life

The XPS 12 has an average battery life of 3 hours.

Con

Works comfortably only on a desk or lap

When keeping the laptop on a flat surface such as a desk or one's lap, the viewing angles are good. But working with it in any other position (such as when lying down) you will have a hard time with the viewing angles. There's also the issue of the screen tumbling forward since it's not held in place by anything other than some magnets.

Con

The battery does not last a full day's work

Averaging at around 4 hours of independent battery life while doing easy day-to-day activities like web browsing, the battery life for the Acer Spin 5 is not enough for a full day's work.

Con

Too large and heavy to be used as a tablet

Even though it's got a touchscreen display and the screen can be flipped 360 degrees, it's unfortunately too large and heavy to be used as a tablet comfortably. The tent mode though is quite comfortable.

Con

The typing experience is not very pleasant

The keyboard is too shallow and the keys are too mushy, which makes the typing experience less than optimal.

Con

Too much software bloat

Comes with 10+ pre-installed applications which most people will never use and that are borderline spyware. The Acer Collection software for example pops up constantly asking for permission to access the location.

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